Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! This march, and science, is not just for scientists, but for everyone who sees the value of science in their everyday lives. Our whole society will benefit from fact-based government policies, and anyone who agrees with this should join the march.

A: Not at all. The election of Trump and his anti-science actions in office may have been the straw that broke the scientist's back, but this problem is much larger than one man, one party, or one government. We see the dangerous effects of mistrust in science across Europe and Norway as well.

Actually it IS a problem in Norway. While Norway is progressive in many ways, we still have top Norwegian politicians ignoring scientific facts when it’s convenient for them. Take for example drilling for oil in the Arctic, which the Norwegian government intends to pursue, despite all evidence indicating that if that oil is pumped up and used - no matter where it is used - the climate limits that were set in Paris cannot possibly be reached. (Please watch the discussion here between top economist Jeffrey Sachs and Erna Solberg at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø in January, starting at 1:24:45) Even more concerning, climate change denial has also undergone a recent revival in the public debate in Norway due to some politicians in the Progress Party (FRP) (See comments from FRP veteran Carl I. Hagen here and more general discussion of the growing trend of climate change denial in Norwegian politics here).

Science IS apolitical, but politicians have been making it political. It hurts everyone when politicians politicize science, and part of our aim with this march is to defend science from political machinations and urge politicians to vote in favor of evidence-based policies, regardless of the party that they belong to. Trust in science and facts should not be based on party affiliation.

We hope that the awareness we raise and the passion of those who march will be channeled into continued support for science and fact-based policies long after the march is over. The only way to create lasting change is to create a consensus of people who understand the importance of science, and vote for those politicians who create and vote in favor of fact-based policies.

You can donate to help support the march (see here), you can post about the march on social media (use the hashtag #ScienceMarch), and you can talk about the march with friends and family to spread awareness. And of course, anything you do to support science helps, from nurturing the curiosity of children to holding elected officials accountable.